Tuesday, March 31, 2015

As is the ever spinning cycle of pop culture, fad and fashion, what was once popular may still yet return. Such is the case for mega cult film star Billy Zane whose unforgettable films like The Phantom and Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight won him the hearts and minds of millions of dedicated fans across the globe. Now it seems Mr. Zane is experiencing the resurgence in popularity that he so richly deserves! Screaming, squealing, somewhat angry and absolutely heartbroken teen and pre-teen girls have taken to the internet to show their undying love and support of Zane. This unprecedented spike in popularity can't be tied to any new projects announced as Zane's last 9 projects are still listed in various states of pre or post production and "Zombie Killers: Elephant's Graveyard" has not quite reached the level of instant cult classic status we had previously thought it might. Still, the endless tweets speak for themselves! Here's Billy Zane graciously reading some of them for his adoring public...

The Pokémon Company International and Princeton Entertainment announced today 30 new dates and locations for the official Pokémon live orchestral concert, Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions. After sold out performances in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh, PA and selling 5,000 tickets in Philadelphia, fans across the country will soon get the opportunity to see and hear Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions in a city near them. More information about the new dates, locations, and how to purchase tickets can be found at Pokemon.com/symphony.

Remember that time Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Sarah Michelle Gellar led Robert Englund, Michael Rooker and Danny Trejo into battle against George Romero and his undead hordes? If you play all the Call of Duty games, including the additional downloadable content, then you do. Nearly rivalling that bit of awesome comes John Malkovich, Bill Paxton, Rose McGowan and John Bernthal battling jacked up super mutant cybernetically enhanced zombies in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Exo Zombies Infection. ...and just like that...I want to spend the precious moments of my free time playing video games...all day..every day.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Just like Jason before him, all great thundering lizards who occasionally lay waste to Asian cities must eventually pay for their crimes against humanity. Sure, defeating a monster hell bent on the apocalypse now and again has spared our pal Godzilla for some time, but what of those times he hit the city just for the sake of fu**ing sh*t up? It's time for Godzilla to go to hell.

In over six decades of battles and triumphs, Godzilla has never faced a challenge as great as what’s coming his way this July, when Godzilla goes to hell! In Godzilla in Hell, a five-issue miniseries launching in July, Godzilla will storm through the gates of hell itself, proving that the towering behemoth is King Of The Monsters both above and below!

With no warning and no sign of salvation, Godzilla is plummeted to the deepest, darkest bowels of the infernal kingdom. The mystery of what led to Godzilla’s damnation, and what it will face, will take readers on a dark and twisted journey unlike any Godzilla story before!

Before the all-new Secret Wars takes the comic world by storm in just over a month, relive the complete Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars legacy in one complete, stunning package. Today, Marvel is proud to present your first look at the MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD BOX SET SLIPCASE, a deluxe collection of 11 hardcovers chronicling the history of one of Marvel’s most storied events!

Available in June, readers will be transported to Battleworld and back as they experience over 30 years of Secret Wars stories in one of the most comprehensive collections we’ve ever released! Plus, each of these extremely limited box sets comes complete with a full-size poster: legendary painter Alex Ross's rendition of the cover to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1!

REVEALS! These days, a studio is lucky enough to drop a reveal with some sort of fanfare before a crazed fan or newshound spoils it with onset pics or leaked imagery. The Thing from the new Fantastic Four movie was just shown, for the first time, in a grainy pic from some dude standing in front of a giant poster. NOT the way you want that to get out there, and the overwhelming negative reaction is proof. Then there's Ryan Reynolds who just Tweeted this image of, presumably, himself, in full Deadpool gear, lounging on a bear skin rug in front of a fireplace. THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE. ...And could it be any more perfect? No..the answer is no it could not. This was a rhetorical question.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

To the non-collector and random viewer with no time to waste, the above collection of figures in the new Toys R Us 3 figure pack seems like a safe bet, though an odd grouping if you know even the tiniest bit about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While The X-Men's Cyclops, The Punisher and The Avenger's Black Widow are all "movie stars" in their own right (and therefore characters that make retailers happy), putting them together in a set is an odd move for a manufacturing giant like Hasbro. Hasbro would agree, as this isn't the lineup for this set at all.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Guillermo del Toro promised more adventures from the world of Pacific Rim - and he has delivered. Legendary is taking fans back to the frontlines of a larger-than-life battleground with Pacific Rim: Tales from the Drift, the official new comic series presented by director Guillermo del Toro, featuring a story from Pacific Rim screenwriter Travis Beacham. A continuation of the bestselling graphic novel Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero, the new Pacific Rim comic series will feature Jaegers never before seen in combat, squaring off against all-new Kaiju creatures.

Legendary is also proud to launch two original titles. First is the riveting espionage thriller Black Bag, starring Legendary Comics' first female action hero. This gripping series about a suburban wife-turned-covert government assassin comes from writer Chris Roberson, creator of the breakout comic iZombie (recently adapted into a network TV series), and features art from fast-rising talent JB Bastos, known for his standout work on Night Trap.

Superheroes in Gotham! Wonder Woman, Thor, Hulk, Batman, Superman and more stand tall at the Hoerle-Guggenheim Gallery which presents Jason Dussault's "Deconstructive/Constructive" art exhibition on view from March 20 – April 8, 2015 at 527 West 23rd Street in New York City. A portion of proceeds from the exhibition lithographs will benefit Free Arts NYC, a local organization providing underserved children and families with a unique combination of educational arts and mentoring programs that help them to foster the self-confidence and resiliency needed to realize their fullest potential.

Dussault is a Vancouver and New York based artist whose practice focuses on combining traditional forms of mosaic with pop-culture characters from his childhood and the present. The works presented recall the power of childhood memories through iconic characters that resonate with human nature’s desire to retain an inner youth. Playful in nature yet anchored to the stringent values of adulthood, Dussault seeks to remind the viewer of a fragility that ultimately leads to self-awareness. This is the artist’s debut solo exhibition in New York. Dussault explains, “Growing up in a small rural Canadian town in the late seventies and early eighties with young parents struggling to find their way, I spent much of my time alone, and the only access to art I had was comic books. I would spend hours trying to redraw these characters. Deconstructive/Constructive is my tribute to comic book art, my first love and inspiration.”

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

As the website says...the time...is Meow. Is there a week that goes by where one of our friends doesn't replace now with meow? No. There is not. Is there any doubt in my mind that the Broken Lizard crew will fully fund Super Troopers 2 and have enough to make an epic potato salad for all the world to share? No. There is not.

I'll let the crew brief you on this one...

Several moons ago, we made a little indie movie called Super Troopers, which we debuted at Sundance in 2001. We’re proud of how it turned out and apparently it struck a chord with many of you out there because almost daily we get asked “Who wants a mustache ride?” ("Who doesn’t?") or “Did you chug real maple syrup?” ("Yes, and we will never, ever, ever do it again.") or “How is the view from sugar heaven?” ("Sweet.") But more than anything else, we get asked: "When are you going to get off your asses and make Super Troopers 2?" Well, guess what chickenfuckers? We finally have an answer.

After 13 years of 'Believing" ...and hoping..and praying...and legions of folks writing some really crazy sexually charged fan fiction, THE X-FILES RETURNS!!! Entertainment Weekly broke the word that The X-Files is returning with Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) in tow for a 6 episode mini-series..sometime...in the future. Shooting starts this Summer.

IDW has been cranking out a wildly popular comic book series for some time now, thrusting the supernatural mystery hunting FBI agents we know and love back into the spotlight. Gillian Anderson has even hit the floor of San Diego Comic-Con to greet fans and assure us she is still..100%..completely awesome (and still hot). With the success of Fox's 24 mini-series and genre subjects dominating the television landscape, there is no better time to bring back a series that probably influenced much of what we love to watch today.

Starz announced today the casting of Ray Stevenson (“Rome,” Divergent), as the iconic pirate ‘Blackbeard,’ also known as ‘Edward Teach,’ on the Emmy®-winning Original series “Black Sails.” One of the most notorious pirates to have ever lived, ‘Edward Teach’ (‘Blackbeard’) returns to settle some unfinished business, but a great deal has changed during his absence, and he will have to disrupt cemented alliances and challenge new ones to achieve the impossible.

Starz also released a new behind-the-scenes ‘first look’ at season three which is currently in production in South Africa. The teaser will air on STARZ following the season two finale and includes a peek at the dreaded marauder ‘Blackbeard.’ The season two finale will air on Saturday, March 28th at 9 pm ET/PT exclusively on STARZ.

A good 80% of young adult action films involve some sort of bleak future where humans oppress each other with the usual elements in place including entire towns reduced to rubble, ground under the boot of their oppressors and ragtag freedom fighters drenched in shades of blue dodging enemy eyes while running past oddball propaganda posters and video reminiscent of World War 2 campaigns. Taco Bell watches all the films we do, and they have a message of rebellion all their own. Break the shackles of your breakfast mediocrity and embrace a new dawn of tasty freedom!! Down with the clown!! Run for the border!! ...or something along those lines.

It's CONVENTION SEASON!! ..and FILM FEST SEASON!! ...and calling it a season is sort of ridiculous, as, these days, the "season" doesn't end til November. As we prepare to dive head first into the eclectic film schedule of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, we take a few moments to go over the films we are most interested in so you can glue them firmly onto your radar and keep watch for some sort of release. Here's the (potentially) good stuff...

Monday, March 23, 2015

Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition is currently in development for PC, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and will be available to purchase as a digital download in Summer 2015. The Special Edition will include the original 2008 release, which went on to sell over 3 million copies worldwide, plus three new playable characters, Legendary Dark Knight Mode and additional gameplay improvements. Today, the first trailer has been released to showcase the new and improved features from this critically-acclaimed chapter in the legendary Devil May Cry series.

Paramount Pictures today announced that tickets for the first showings of the highly anticipated film “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” are unlocked with today’s trailer debut and on sale now – four months before the film’s theatrical release.

The advance tickets are available for Thursday, July 30th showings at 7:00 p.m. in IMAX® and premium large format theaters and 8:00 p.m. at additional participating locations nationwide. The tickets are available online at Fandango, Movietickets.com and participating theater box offices.

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th through Friday, March 27th, fans purchasing advance tickets at Fandango and Movietickets.com will receive a code for a free HD digital copy of any previous installment in the blockbuster “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” franchise.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

In this world of retro revival, no stone is left unturned in the hunt for the geek's almighty dollars. Anything from our childhood is fair game, making these days heaven for toy collectors in particular who are enjoying action figures based on properties that have been poorly served over the years. Legend of Zelda is one such property, with scores of fans that surface the second someone yells GANONDORF!! JAKKS Pacific understood the power of Zelda from day one and made sure your pal Link was in their first wave of World of Nintendo action figures. You answered by clearing the pegs of him for MONTHS. Even today, well after the series launch, you'd be hard pressed to score one in the wild (or on the pegs in normal people speak)...at least around these parts. JAKKS continued to show their love by showing off prototypes for a giant Link figure and an 8bit Link plush alongside a Deluxe Boxed Ganondorf at Toy Fair this year. (click here to drool over those!) Today we'll take a look at the Link action figure, who you may be hunting the second you're done reading, and the Deluxe Ganondorf, which is due in stores...soooon....

Friday, March 20, 2015

This Saturday on Science Channel, Kevin Moore and Grant Reynolds take you on another 60 minute adventure as they recreate internet video fails in an all new episode of WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? In each episode, this best friend duo scours the internet for the most epic video fails and then makes it their personal mission to successfully recreate each video. Using science and a little creativity, Kevin and Grant make these experiments safer and bigger than before.

When our favorite heroes are re-imagined ...reformatted...straight up redesigned or worse, rebooted, a new costume is sure to come. Often (as we are geeks), these changes are met with anger. Just...a little anger. More often than not, that anger is at least somewhat well founded, as the redesign sucks all the fun out of the original concept or changes the look of the character so profoundly as to render them unrecognizable. Sometimes..it's just awesome.

The recent Hawkeye comic book has been creating a buzz for some time now with a fantastic style that introduces a noir element to the storytelling and a team of creatives that breathed new life into what was largely considered a one note character. Now Diamond Select celebrates Hawkeyes killer modern look with a Disney Store Exclusive action figure so awesome, no one thought to tell anyone about it til it hit stores and an excited collector decided to share it with us! Kevil Teppel wandered into a Disney Store in Illinois and came across the figure that's about to jump to the top of everyone's Most Wanted list.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and other beloved Muppets star in Disney Junior's "Muppet Moments," a new short-form series of amusing conversations between Muppets and young kids about everyday topics including "apologies," "favorite foods" and "manners." The series will debut on Disney Channel with four shorts premiering FRIDAY, APRIL 3 (8:25 a.m., 8:55 a.m., 9:25 a.m. and 9:55 a.m., ET/PT) and a new short airing daily through Friday, May 8. New shorts will continue to rollout throughout 2015 and will also be available on WATCH Disney Junior.

Cartoon Network has always been a wild card in the field of animation. When the lunatics at Adult Swim roll out a new live action series, we know it's going to be fairly insane without even having to see a trailer. That's just what they do. When it's a new animated project, there's a 50/50 chance you'll get head scratching ridiculousness or borderline brilliance. The shows that come to Cartoon Network's daytime lineup can also go either way, and if given the chance, may even evolve in maturity and tone. Adventure Time is one such amazing creation.

After continually being surprised by hysterical and somewhat adult moments found in random episodes, I interviewed the creators of Adventure Time and asked who they thought the show was for, . The answer was "It's for us!" This idealistic/ artistic view would somewhat give way as millions of children across the globe latched onto the show, hungry for all the merchandising that comes with a hit TV series. While the show didn't get dumbed-down, it was certainly made a few degrees safer for little eyes.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Comic books from the "big two" these days have a higher profile then any comic has had in a great while. We can attribute most of that to the major shakeups each company is creating across the board, within and following major events that change the face of nearly every title FOREVERRRRR...or until the company decides it was a bad move and puts everything back the way it was with a calculated reality flux something or other. Marvel Comics is about to head into their biggest and most ambitious event since Civil War; which saw hero fighting hero on every page. You may remember Secret Wars from your childhood; a tale of a God-like being kidnapping Earth's mightiest heroes and most powerful villains and forcing them to battle each other for supremacy on a planet cobbled together from chunks of other planets. Marvel's new Secret Wars follows a similar premise, but introduces alternate universes and the doppelgangers of our favorite characters dwelling there. Let's take a look at some of the worlds we'll explore in this mega comic book event...

Friday, March 13, 2015

Warner Bros. Television hops into Anaheim for another exciting weekend at WonderCon 2015. Kicking off the fan fest on Friday, April 3, will be WBTV’s annual screenings — on the big screen — featuring episodes of the brainy new series iZOMBIE (series premiere Tuesday, March 17, 9/8c The CW), Gotham (Mondays 8/7c FOX), The Flash (Tuesdays 8/7c The CW) and Warner Bros. Animation’s hit super hero series Teen Titans Go! (Thursdays 6/5c Cartoon Network). Panels and Q&A sessions with the iZOMBIE cast and producers, along with Gotham and Teen Titans Go! cast and producers take place on Saturday, April 4. On Sunday, April 5, the cast and producers of The Flash take the stage for a special video presentation and Q&A with Con-goers.

Bet you forgot about this one! From an adventurous balloon ride above the clouds to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Up”) has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places. In Disney•Pixar’s original movie “ Inside Out,” he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all—inside the mind.

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

WATCH WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!! In a world where we often have cause to use phrases like "those rotten bastards" (often) and the Invader Zim screaming standard "LIES!! ALL LIES!!!" ...it's nice to be able to form a sentence that begins and ends with a simple, happy, pleasing sentiment. Here it comes. Robert Downey Jr is a swell guy. When super hero Albert Manero; a #CollectiveProject student who founded the fantastic, instant tear-inducing group called "Limbitless..whose sole purpose is to quite literally GIVE LIMBS to kids who have none; put out the call for support of his group, i'll bet he never dreamed the man waiting in the wings to give a helping had was actually a comic book character. Enter....Tony Stark; volatile fictional millionaire super hero played by real-life-millionaire super hero Robert Downey Jr, who took time out of his busy schedule of pressing the press flesh for Avengers 2: Age of Ultron to slip in to his Tony persona and present a little boy with a bionic arm. Cue picture of the guy from Scanners with his head exploding and gather your tissues. This is EXACTLY what we needed this morning.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by ATandT, today announced a special celebration to mark the 40th Anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail including a special screening of the film and the international premiere of the documentary Monty Python - The Meaning of Live directed by Roger Graef and James Rogan. In honor of the anniversary the Festival will also host special screenings of classic Python films Monty Python’s Life of Brian and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. The five surviving members of the legendary comedy group, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, will come together for the special presentation of Monty Python and The Holy Grail, which will screen on Friday April 24 at The Beacon Theatre. Tickets to the cult classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail go on sale on March 23 at www.tribecafilm.com. The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival will take place April 15-26 in downtown Manhattan.

Exclusive Jayne Cobb Figure from Firefly coming to comic book specialty shops this May
(BALTIMORE, MD) – (March 10, 2015)- The bright orange knit hat makes the man as Funko brings fans of scifi TV series Firefly the Jayne Cobb with Hat PREVIEWS Exclusive Legacy Collection Action Figure. Available to pre-order from the March PREVIEWS catalog, the “Hero of Canton” Jayne figure will be released in comic book specialty shops in late May 2015.

CineConcerts, CBS Consumer Products and Paramount Pictures will launch Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage, a North American concert tour playing performing arts centers in more than 100 cities. The tour launches in Florida in January 2016 and will travel throughout the U.S. and Canada through the end of April 2016. An exclusive pre-tour engagement will be held at Royal Albert Hall in London on November 1, 2015.

Folks on the West Coast, though they've been getting a little taste of actual seasons this year, still won't know the insanity of all this snow falling from the skies on an almost weekly basis. Our friends in Massachusetts got hit hard, so we are grateful out snowfalls in Central New Jersey were only temporary inconveniences. Today...is another story, as the snow has been falling from the sky since sun up and shows no signs of stopping. Friends across the globe asked to see the snow, so I let the boys out to play for a little bit, as it might be their last opportunity to roll around in the white stuff (as we are promised 50 degree weather next week! Global Warming. WE SHOULD HAVE LISTENED!!) As anyone with a puppy will attest, a moment like this means you break out the camera...and so I did. Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

This is the Iron Man armor you have been waiting for! Ever since the first official appearance of the massive anti-Hulk Iron Man suit, Hulkbuster, in Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, fans worldwide have been filled with excitement! Its fight against Hulk is an unforgettable moment from the clip and pushes the popularity of the huge machine to a new level even before the movie launch!

Today, we are proud to officially introduce the collectible figure that many fans and collectors have been longing for – the spectacular 1/6th scale Hulkbuster Collectible Figure!

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